Program provides suicide prevention training in May

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FORT RUCKER, Ala. (March 28, 2013) -- As the number of suicides in the U.S. armed forces continues to rise, the Fort Rucker Army Substance Abuse Program is working to combat the already "heartbreaking" numbers.

More than 70 suicides have been reported in the Army this year, and ASAP is offering classes for those in direct contact with Soldiers to do their part to help "in the moment," according to Traci Dunlap, ASAP suicide prevention program manager.

The Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training is a two-day class May 15 and 16 that teaches people the skills they need to help those that may show signs of suicide, said Dunlap.

"The classes are designed for what we call gatekeepers here on the installation," she said. "These are people who are most likely to come in contact with someone who presents with ideation or thoughts of suicide, so they are the ones who need to know how to respond to someone in that moment."

Participants will learn the Suicide Prevention Model, which teaches them how to go through certain steps to identify reasons for living, and helps them address things that might be hard to talk about.

"Through the process, you get the person to learn to find some hope in their situation so that they can move forward," said Dunlap. "It's a very specific model that they'll learn and they'll leave [the training session] with these new skills."

Upon completion, those that attend the classes will receive a card that they can carry with them to help them remember the process step-by-step, and they can use this in the event they come across someone that needs help, she added.

"You can never really tell when something is going to happen, and if you help a person identify the reasons for living, then you can give them some hope, even if it it's just to get them to the next day," said the program manager. "ASIST is basically suicide first aid -- it's only in that moment -- we're trying to keep them safe in that moment and it's very important to know what to do in those moments."

The classes will last eight hours per day and only 30 spots are available per class, and although the classes are available to anyone who wishes to attend, Dunlap said that gatekeepers get priority.

"You never know what you can do or how positive words could impact someone's life," she said. "Most people aren't counselors, but a couple positive words could help somebody move forward in their life -- we're talking about saving lives and you've got to be ready to respond."